Combined automatic and straight-air brake.



j n PATBNTBD E365-'1907; K wpfv. TURNER E E.' A. WRIGHT. -coMB-IN'EDAUTUMATIG AND STRAIGHT AIRBEA'KE.' APPILIOATION um) MAY 6,1904.

WITNESSESy 'INVENIYRS "No, 842,923. PATENTE) FEB.. 5, 19e?.

W. jv. TURNER @E E. A. WRIGHT. GUMBINED AUTOMATIC AND STRMGHT- AIR BRAKE.

APPLIGTION FILED MAY 6,1004.

- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

3627 24 aa U ,1

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

WALTER V. TURNER, OF WILKINSBURG, AND EDWARD A.'WRIGHT, OF

EDGEWOOD PARK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO THE WESTING- HOUSE AIR BRAKE COMPANY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

COMBINED AUTOMATIC AND,STFAIGH'TAIR BRAKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 5, 1907.

Application filed May 6, 1904. Serial No. 206.655.

T @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it `known that we, WALTER V. TURNER and EDWARD A. VRIGHT, citizens of? the United States, residing, respectively, at

i Wilkinsburg and Edgewood Park, both inthe county of Allegheny andh State of Penn- `Sylvania', have invented a' certain new and useful Improvement in a Combined Automatic' and Straight-Air Brake, of which the v1o Jfollowing is a speciiication.

- This invention relates .in general to airbrakes, and more particularlyto combined automatic and straight-air-brake apparatus y by means of which the brakes may -be a plied eitherV automatically by reducing te train-pipe pressure in the usual way or by the use of straight air direct from the main reservoir or source of lsup ly to thebrakejcylinder.`

In the present stan ard Westinghouse equipzo ment of this type for locomotives the pipefor supplying air `from the straight-air-brake valve to the brake-cylinder is connected, by

.means of a .double check-valve, with the pipey leading from the triple valve to the brake- 2 5 cylinder, so that when the brakes are applied wit-h'straight air the check-valve movesover k/ and closes the passage to the triple valve;

but whentheautomatic system is usedfor supplying air from" the triple valveto the 3o' brake-cylinder the check-valve moves to its opposite ,seat and closes the pipe or passage to the straight-air-brake valve.' l

When the automatic brake is applied, it

often desirable-to be able to release the same 3 5 upon the locomotive by applying the straightj air; `but with thev present equipment the en.

gineer has no means of knowing what degree of air-pressure must be supplied by the straight-airrbrake valve in order to shift thel 4o double check-valve, and it is .therefore un- Icertain whether he can. gain control of the braking pressure with the.straightair-brake valve` Without applying an excessive degree of straight-air pressure.

One of the objectslof this invention is to provide a combined apparatus by. means of which the automatic brake may be released automatically by the movement of' the straight-air-'brake valve to application posi` 5o tion.

Another obj ect is to prevent the possibility of adding to the locomotive brake-cylinder pressure by an ordinary service application ot the automatic brake when the straight-air ybralreis alreadyl applied, and thereby prevent excessive brakmg pressure, which might cause dama-ge by the sliding of the wheels or the' slipping of the driving-wheel tires; and a further objectis to be able at Iall times to secure the emergency application ofthe automatic brakes` regardless of the position ofthe straight-air-brake valve. f

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic' view showing a combined automatic and straight-air-brake locomotive equipment embodying one form of this inf vention; Fig. 2, a' sectional view of .the

triple valve jand valve device connected therewith, as shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, aplan 'view ofV thev main slide-valve seat of the 'triple' valve; Fig. 4, .a face view oit' the main slide-valve; Fig. 5, a similar face" view ofthe 'slide valve, showing aslight modication;

Fig. 6, a diagrammatic view showing a combined. automatic and straight-air-biiake equipment embodying another form of our linvention; Fig. 7, -a sectional view of' the dro- For the purpose of causing the movement. 'of the triple valve to release position when the straight air is ,applied any means, such as an additional port from the triple-valve chamber, which is open in the service position of the triple valve, may be provided for releasing air from the auxiliary reservoir, such means beingcontrolled by the movement of the straightair-brake valve. I

As shown in .F ig; 1, this inventionis de- A signed to be applied to the present standard combined automatic and straight-air 'brake ICO equipment having the usual form of straightair-brake valve 4, main reservoir 2, air-pump valve, to be hereinafter described, by a pipel 18, abranch pipe 19 leading from the pipef'15 to a similar valve device on the locomotivetender.

The triple-valve device may be of the' usual construction, comprising piston 21, main slide-valve v24, graduating slide-valve 23, the main-valve seat, having port 25, connected to brakeicylinder pipe 12, and exhaust-port 26, connected to pipe 17, While the slide-valve 24 is provided with the usual service-port 27, emergency-port 28, and eX- haust-cavity 22. An additional vent-port 29 is located in the valve-seat and is adapted to cooperate With a port 30 in the main slidevalve., According to this form of the improvement the intermediate valve device 16 comprises a casing containing apiston-chamber 31. and valve-chamber 33, with piston 32, stem 38, and slide-valve 36, controlling eX- liaust-port 35' and port 34, adapted to open communication from the pipe 15 and the chamber below thepiston to the valve-chamber when the piston moves upward. A constantly-open port 37 connects the valvechamber with the pipe 17 and the exhaustport of the Atriple valve. A cross-head 43, having a stem 41, carrying a -valve 40, is mounted in the upper part of the casing and is normally forced to its lovvermost position by spring 42, at which point it rests upon the bushing or stops in the valve-casing. The valve 40 controls a port leading Vfrom the valve-chamber 33 to the chamber 48 and the atmosphere through port 49. An oppositelyseated valve 46 controls communication from pipe 18 and chamber 50 to the chamber 48 and the atmosphere. The stems 44 and 47 of the respective valves are adapted to en- -gage'each other and are of suiiicient length to insure the opening of one valve when the f other is closed.

valve 5 to pipe 15- and into chamber 31 beneath piston 32, forcing the same to its upper position, and thereby opening by-pass port f 34 and closing valve 40 upon its seat 45. The

= v'exhaust-port 35 remains closed by the. slide-` valve 36, and the air passes through port 37, pipe 17, exhaust-port 26, and cavity 22 of the triplevalve, brake-cylinder port 25, and pipe 12 to the brake-cylinder, charging the same to the desired pressure. As the pressure equalizes on opposite sides of piston 32 the spring 42 returns the piston and slide-valve to its normal position, as shown in Fig. 2; but the valve 40 remains closed and -is held to its seat by the brake-cylinder pressure, which also'obtains inthel valve-chamber 33, the valve 46 being held" open by .the stem 44 engaging the stem 47. When the straight-airbrake valve is turned torelea'se position, the air'in pipe 15 and beneath the piston 32 escapes -to the atmosphere, and the piston is forcedV downward against the light spring 39, thereby opening the exhaust-port 35 and releasing the air under pressure from the brakecylinder and valve-chamber 33 to the atmosphere, after Which-the spring 39 returns the piston'to normal position, and the valve 40 opens by gravity.

In the foregoing description it was supposed that the triple valve vv as in its normal release position; but if it should happen that the triple valve is in service position, due to an application of the automaticl brake having been made, then the air ilovv s from the straight-air-brake valve 4 through pipe 15 into chamber 31 and operates the piston 32,` as before, to close the valve 40 and open the valve 46. The triple valve being in service position, it will be noticed that the port 30 registers with port 29, so that the opening of valve 46 permits a reduction of auxiliary-res'- ervoir pressure to lthe atmosphere, which causesthe triple valve to instantly move to release position, thereby closing vent-port 29 and connected ports 26 and 25 through the exhaust-cavity 22. The brake-cylinder pressure is then controlled by the straight-airbrake valve and'may be increased or diminished, as desired, While the automatic t-rainbrakes may be retained or released at vfill by the engineers brake-valve 6. By thisme ans it will be seen that the locomotive automatic brake may be released at any time by the straight-air-brake valve Without releasing the train-brakes, thereby securing practically an independent control of the driver-brakes.

The automatic brake system. is controlled by the regular engineers brake-valve 6 in the usual Way; the port 29 and pipe l18 being normally held closed by the valve 46 to prevent the escape of air from the auxiliary reservoir to the atmosphere. In4 case the straight-air brake should already be applied on the locomotive at the time that a service application of the automatic brakes is made with the engineers brake-valve 6, the slidevalve 24 oi the driver-brake triple valve 9 moves back only a slight distance, when the port 30 registers with port.29 and pipe 18, which permits the auxiliary' reservoir lto reduce to the atmosphere as rapidly as the train-pipe pressure reduces, since the valve IIO leaving the locomotive-brakes under the conp io trol of the straight-air-brake valve without increasing the brake-cylinder pressure on the locomotive, although the` train-brakes will be' applied as usual.

Should occasion require an emergency apf i plication of the automatic train-brakes to be "'Inade 'while the locomotive-brakes are applied with straight air, a sudden reduction in train-pipe pressure would cause the triple piston 21 and valve 24 to instantly make a zo full trayerse to emergency position, in which the' portl 28 registers with brake cylinder port 25, and the auxiliary-reservoir pressure equalizes into the brake-cylinder.'v During thismovement of the slide-valve 24 the port z 5 30 passes over the port 29 so rapidly that verylittle or no air escapes from the auxiliary reservoir through pipe 18, and this outlet is 'then held closed by the valve in emergency position.' If itis desired to be able'to release o 'thedriver-'brake triple valve by means of straight air after an emergency application, this'vent-port inthe slide-valve lmay 4be extended, as indicated at in Fig'. 5, so as to leave the port 29 open in the emergency po- 3 5 sition, and inithis case the air Jfrom the aux- `iliary-ieservo'ir-Would rush'into the pipe 18 with sufficient force to seat the valve 46 and open valve 40, thereby releasing the valvechamber 33 to the atmosphere and prevent- 4o'in`g` further escapeof airfrom the auxiliary reservoir. Then the driver-brake triple may be released by supplying air from thestraigh tair-brake valve through pipe 15 to piston 32, whereb'y the same is forced upward to close valve 40 and unseat the valve 46,wl ich opens communication from the auxiliary reservoir A to the atmosphere through-ports 30 29 and 'pipe 18 and causes tlie movement 'of tlze triple -valve to release position, as before described. The preferable Jform` of slidevalve; however, is shovfn in Figs. 2 and 4, in

which the port 29 is closed by the valve in y emergency position. The branch pipe19 leads to a similar valve device 16 ontle ten- A5, 5 der, whereby the 'tender-brakes may be controlled by the straight-air-brake valve at the.

same time as the driver-brakes.

The construction of the improvement as thus far' described is designed to be applied to the present standard apparatus and the form of straight-air-brake valve now `in use.' in Figs. 6 to 9, however, is illustrated a modiication of our invention, in wliich a rotary straight-air-brake valve .2() is employed and ,5; the automatic valve device 16 dispensed with',

tion, connecting ports According to this modiiication the valve-seat of the straight-air-brale` valve is provided u' ith exhaust-port 51 application-port 52, connected directly to pipe 17, and tlge triplevalve exhaust, and port 53, connected directly to pipe 18,leading-to-the additional port 29 of the triple valve, the rotary valvechamber being connected by port 54 with the main-reservoir pipe 3 through `the reducing-valve, as usual.

The` rotary valve 55 is provided with a through-port 57 and a cavlity 56 for 'cooperating with the ports in the valve-seat. When-thisv rotary -valve of the straight-air-brake valve is in release position, the ports 52 and 51are connected by the cavity 56, while the port 53,-is closed, so that the automatic brakes may then be applied and released in the usunal Way bythe Vengineers brake-valve 6. Y When it is desired to apply the locomotivebrakes by straight air,l the rotary valve 55.is

l, turned to application position, in which port 57 registers with port 52, while the -port 53 communicates with the atmosphere through cavity 56. If the triple valve is in release position, air then lows through pipes 17 and 12 to the driver-brake cylinders 13 and through branch pipe 58 to the brake-cylinder on the tender, charging the same to any desired degree. i If the triple valve should be in service position, air from the auxiliary reservoir would immediately vent to the atmosphere through pipe 18, port 53, cavity 56, and port 51, thereby causing the triple valve to instantly move to release position and connect ports 25 and 26'for supplying straight air to the brake-cylinders. The rotary IOO valve 55 is then turned to'lap position, in

which the application-port 52` is closed. but the port 53 still'rernains -in communication with the exhaust-port 5.1 through the cavity 56. lf a serviceav plication should then be made With the straight-air brakeapplied, the yslide-valve of the locomotive triplefvalve would only move sufficientlyT to open port IOS TIO

29 and release a certain amount of air from the auxiliary reservoir `to thek atmosphere through pipe 18 and ports 53, 56, and 51 and then return to' release position, closing, port 29, as before' described, Without supplying air from the auxiliary reservoir tothe brakecylinder. The air in the brake-cylinders may then be released at any time by turning the straight-air-bral'e valve to release posi- 52 and 51 through the cavity 56. Y. i

An emergency application ofthe automatlc' brakes may be made at any time whether the straight-air brake is applied or not by a sudden reduction in train-pipe pressure, which causes the slide-valve'24, Figs. 2 and 4, .of the driver-brake triple-valve `to move vrapidly over port 29 to its emergency position, in

which the said vent-port 29 is closed. c

From the-foregoing` description ltwill nowbe apparent that We have provided a conibine-:i automa-tic and straight-a' brake equiprnent for locomotives by means of which the engineer may release the automatic locomotive-brake 'with the straight-air-brake valve, While the train-brakes are applied and Without releasing theni andL then control the locoiiiotive-brakes with straight air. I'Ie is also able to release the automatic train-brakes for the purpose of recharging` the auxiliary reser foirs While holding the locomotivebrakes applied with straightair and Withoutl increasing the pressure in the locomotive brake-cylinders and at the saine time 1n aj secure an emergency application of ,the automatic brakes on both the locomotive and train at any time by the usual sudden reduction in train-pipe pressure, thereby insuring a safe and complete control or the train under all conditions.

Having now described our invention, what We claim as new, and desire to secure by Ilett-ers Patent, is-

1. In an air-brake, the combination with a train-pipe, engineers brake-valve, auxiliary reservoir, triple valve and brake-cylinder, of a. straighten-brake valve for supplying air to the brake-cylinder, and means controlled by the straight-air-brake valve for venting air from the auxiliary reservoir to cause the movement of the triple valve to release position.

y2. In an air-brake, the combination yyitlia train-pipe, engineers brake-valve, auxiliary reservoir, triple valve and brake-cylinder, of a straight-air-brake valvean-d a pipe leading therefrom to the triple-valve exhaust-port for supplyingV air to the brake-cylinder, and means controlled by the straight-air-brale valve 'for venting air from the auxiliary reservoir to cause the movement of the triple valve. to release position.

3. In an air-brake, the combination with a train-pipe, engineers brake-valve, auxiliary reservoir, triple valve and brake-cylinder7 of a straigiit-air-brake valve, and mea-ns controlled by the straight-air-brake valve for causing the movement of the triple valve to release position.

4. The combination with an automatic air-brake system, and a straight-air-brake apparatus, of means for preventing a further supply of air to the brake-cylinder by the automatic syste'in in service applications when the bra-ke is applied vvitii straight air.

5. In an air-brake7 the combination with a train-pipeI engineers brake-valve, auxiliary reservoir, triple valve and brale-eylinder, of a straight-air-brake valve and means operated by the movement of the straight-airbralre valve to servire position when the triple valve is in servi-ie position for automatically causing` the release of the triple valve.

6. In an air-brake, the combination with a train-pipe7 engineers brake-valve, auxiliaryT reservoir7 brake-Cylinder and a triple valve having a vent-port for the auxiliary reservoir adapted to be open in lap position, of a stiaig'ht-air-lnalie valve, and means operated thereby for controlling' said vent-port from the auxiliary reservoir, and for supplying?r air through the triple-valve exhaust to the brakecylinder.

7. In an air-brake7 the combination with a train-pipe, engineers brake-valve, auxiliary reservoir7 triple 'alve and brake-cylinder, oi' a straight-air-brake valve for supplyingr air to the exhaust-port of the triple valve, and means controlled by the straight-air-ln'alie valve for venting air from the auxiliary reservoir When the triple valve is in service position.

8. In an air-brake, the combination `vvith a main reservoir, engineers brake-valve, trainpipe, auxiliary reservoir, triple valve and brake-cylimler. of a straighl-air-brake valve for supplying' air to the lnake-c-ylinder, and means controlled by the triple valve 'for ventine; air from the auxiliary reservoir when the straight-air brake is applied.

9. In an air-brake, the combination with a main reservoir, engineefs brake-valve. trainpipe, auxiliary reservoir, triple valve and ln'alie-cylinder, of' a straight-air-brake valve for supplying air to the brake-cylinder,and means operated by a reduction in train-pipe pressurefor venting air from the auxiliary reservoir when the straight-air brake is applied.

10. In an air-brake, the combination with a main reservoir, engineers` brake-valve` train-pipe, auxiliary reservoir and braltecylinder, of triple-valve device having ports for supplying' air from the auxiliary reservoir to the brake-cylinder and for venting,T air from the auxiliary reservoir to the atmosphere, and a straight-air-bralie valve for supply-*ingair to the brake-Cylinder and having' means for controllingT said vent-port.

1l. In an air-brake, the combination with a main reservoir,v engineers brake-valve, train-pipe, auxiliary reservoir and brake-cylinder, of a triple-valve device having' a ventport lfor releasing air from the-auxiliary reser voir, and a straight-air-bralie valve having` means for supplying air to the exhaust-port of the triple valve and for controlling' the outlet from the said vent-port of the triple valve.

l2. In an air-brake, the Combination with a main reservoir, engineer-s brake-valve, train-pipe, auxiliary reservoir and brakecylinder, of a triple-valve device having a vent-port for releasingV air from the auxiliary reservoir, and a straight-air-bralie valve having por ts connected tothe exhaust-port and to the said vent-port of the triple-valve device.

13. In an air-brake, the combination with a main reservoir, engineers brake-valve, train-pipe, auxiliary reservoir and brake-cyllOO IIC

inder, of-atriple-valve device having a ventportzfor releasing air from the auxiliary reservoir, and a straight-'air-brake valve having. ports for supplying air direct to the triplevalve exhaust-port and for establishing communication from thetriple-valve vent-portv .to the atmosphere in lapplication and lap positions. v

14.' In an air-brake, the combination with. a main reservoir, engineer s brake-valve, traine-pipe, auxiliary. reservoir, and brakeoylinder, of a triple-valve device having a service-port for supplying air to the brakeeylinder, .and a vent-port adapted toopen in'v advance. ofl the service-port for releasing air from the auxiliary reservoir, and a straightair-brake valve for supplying air to the brakecylinder, and-contro1ling the outlet from said triple-valvevent-p ort 15. In an air-brake, thercoinbination Withv a main reservoir, .engineers brake-valve, train-pipe, auxiliary reservoir and brake-cylinder, ofv a .triple-valve device having a ventport adapted to be opened for releasing air from the auxiliary reservoir to the atmosphere by the movement of the valve to service-application position, and to be closed by the further movement of the valve to emergencyposition, and astraight-air-brake valve for supplying air to the brake-cylinder.

In testimony Whereof- We have hereunto set our' hands.

WALTER v. TURNER. EDWARD A WRIGHT- Witnesses: R. F. EMERY,

JAS. B. MACDONALD. 

